Storing device



J1me 1966 R. D. CLATTERBUCK 3,254,923

STORING DEVI CE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1964 I NVENTOR ATTORNEY J1me 1966' R. D. CLATTERBUCK 3,254,928

STORING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1964 INVENTOR RONALD D- C LATTER. Sue K.

mm TUBE United States Patent 3,254,928 STORING DEVICE Ronald D. Clatterbuck, 320 Huntington Blvd., Roanoke, Va. Filed Jan. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 336,663 6 Claims. (Cl. 31297.1)

This invention relates to a storing device, and more particularly to a device suitable for storing a plurality of substantially elongated objects.

In the prior art there are numerous devices of various types suitable for storing a plurality of elongated objects. It has been found, however, that most of such devices are not entirely satisfactory for storing a substantial number of objects which can be easily positioned to be readily accessible to a user, and particularly for storing a large number of containers or packages containing objects having diverse specifications, ratings or values such as electron tubes, batteries, electric lamps and the like.

Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to provide a novel storing device.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel device for storing a plurality of substantially elongated objects which can be easily orientated so that any object stored in the device can be made readily accessible to a user.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel storing device having a large storing capacity.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel storing device, which may be easily loaded and unloaded.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved storing device which has a comparatively simple construction, is inexpensive to manufacture, and is easy to operate.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those persons skilled in the art, from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational View of an embodiment of the invention, having a portion thereof broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIGURE 2, having a portion thereof broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional View taken along line 55 in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the view illustrated in FIGURE 5, having a portion thereof broken away.

In accordance with the broad aspects of the presen invention there is provided a device suitable for storing a plurality of objects generally comprising a first support means and at least one second spiral support means for supporting such objects, which preferably is rotatably mounted on the first support means. More specifically, according to the most basic embodiment of the invention, there is provided a frame having an axle member and a cylindrical casing rotatably mounted on the axle member. The casing generally comprises a core member rotatably mounted on the axle member, a pair of circular end walls 3,254,928 Patented June 7, 1966 mounted on the core member for rotation therewith, a cylindrical wall supported on the end walls and a continuous spiral shelf member for supporting the objects being disposed coaxially relative to the axis of the axle member, having its terminal portions secured to the core member and the cylindrical member between the end walls. An opening is provided in either end wall or in the cylindrical side wall, through which the objects carried on the spiral shelf member can be removed. According to a modified form of such basic embodiment of the invention one of the end walls which is provided with several radially spaced openings for removing the objects, is mounted on the axle member for rotation relative to the spiral shelf member so that either the spiral shelf member or the end wall may be rotated relative to the other, whereby selective openings in the end wall may be registered with selected objects supported on the spiral shelf member.

Referring to FIGURES 1 through 3 of the drawings, there is provided another embodiment of the invention similar to the basic embodiment. As shown in FIG- URES 1 through 3, there is provided a frame 20, generally comprising a base member 21 and two spaced pairs of leg members 22 and 23 supported on the base member 21, having a horizontally disposed axle portion 24 bridging the upper ends thereof. Rotatably mounted on the axle-portion 24 of the frame is a cylindrical casing 25 comprising a core member 26 rotatably mounted on the axle portion 24 of the frame, a pair of parallel, axially spaced circular end walls 27 and 28 mounted on the core member 26 for rotation therewith and a cylindrical side wall 29 mounted on the peripheries of the end walls 27 and 28. Disposed within the casing is a first spiral shelf member 30, having substantially uniform radial spacing between radially spaced segments thereof. As best illustrated in FIGURE 3, the spiral shelf member 30 is coaxially mounted within the casing relative to the axis of the axle portion 24, having the inner terminal portion thereof secured to the core member 26 and the outer terminal portion thereof secured to a radially disposed partition wall 31, preferably secured to the cylin drical member 29 of the casing. Also provided within the casing is a second spiral shelf member 32 disposed coaxially relative to the axis of the axle portion 24 of the frame, providing a greater radial spacing between the outermost segment of the spiral shelf member 30 and the segment of the spiral shelf member 32 and the same segment of the shelf member 32 and the cylindrical side wall 29 of the casing, relative to the radial spacing between radially spaced segments of the spiral shelf member 30. It will be appreciated that any number of coaxially disposed spiral shelf members having various spacingsbetween radially spaced segments thereof can be utilized to accommodate a plurality of objects to be stored, having different sizes.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, the aforementioned spiral shelf arrangement is suitable for storing objects having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration or a circular cross-sectional configuration, such as at 33 and 34, which are adapted to be supported on the spiral shelf member 30, and objects having a larger circular crosssectional configuration such as' at 35 and 36, which are adapted to be supported on the spiral shelf member 32. As further illustrated in FIGURE 1, the end wall 27 is provided with a plurality of openings 37, 38, 39 and 4t {2 each of which are radially displaced relative to the axis of axial portion 24 to register with the objects 33, 34, 3'5 and 36 supported on the spiral shelf members within the casing. It will be appreciated that the end wall 27 can be rotatably mounted on the axle portion 24, so that it can be rotated relative to the other members of the casing whereby the openings 37 through 40- may be brought into registry with selected objects 33 through 36 supported on the spiral shelf members. The end wall 27 also can be constructed of a transparent material, to enable the user to read identifying indicia provided on the visible ends of the objects carried within the device. The device as illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 4 can be loaded by making one of the end walls removable.

FIGURES 4 through 6 disclose a still further embodiment of the invention, which is substantially similar to the above mentioned embodiments. As shown in FIGURES 4 through 6, there is provided a bracket member 41, adapted to be secured to a vertical wall 42 by means of a set of suitable screws 43. The bracket member 4 1 is provided with an axle member 44, having a casing 45 rotatably mounted thereon. The casing 45 comprises a core member 46 rotatably mounted on the axle member 44, an end wall 47 mounted on the core number 46, a cylindrical side wall 48 mounted on the end wall 47, and a continuous spiral shelf member 49 disposed coaxially relative to the axis of axial member 44, having the inner end thereof secured to the core member 46 and the outer end thereof secured to thecylindrical side wall 48. open end of the casing is closed by means of an end wall 50, which is removably secured to a hub portion 51 of the axle member 44, by means of a suitable pin 52. As illustrated in FIGURES and 6, the continuous spiral shelf member 49 has a depth substantially less than the spacing between the end walls 45- and 50.

As best illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6, the embodiment of FIGURES 4 through 5 is adapted for storing a plurality of substantially cylindrical containers 53, generally comprising an elongated cylindrical portion 54, having a closed end 55 with an axially disposed projection 56 and an annular recess 57 provided adjacent the opposite open end thereof. Each of the containers is adapted to carry one or more objects, as illustrated in FIGURE 6.

The end wall 47 of the casing 45 is provided with a spiral groove 58, which lies in. a spiral plane disposed coaxially relative to the axis of axle member 45 and parallel to the continuous spiral shelf member 43 disposed adjacent the removable end wall 50. The spiral groove 58 is adapted to receive the axial projection of a container 53 when the opposite end of the container is supported on the spiral shelf member 49, as best seen in FIGURE 6. The spiral shelf member 49 also is provided with a ridge portion 59 on the upper surface thereof and a ridge portion 60 on the lower surface thereof, each lying in the same vertical plane which are received in the annular recesses 57, formed on the ends of the containers for guiding the containers and preventing them from binding as they travel a spiral path toward the bottom of the casing. The cylindrical wall 48 is provided with an opening 61 for emitting the containers 53. The opening 61 is closed by a hinge door 62, having a suitable latch 63. As illustrated in FIGURE 4, the spiral groove 58 in the end wall 47 terminates at the edge of the end wall intermediate the circumferentially spaced edges of the opening 61, so that the container 53 having its axial projection 56 guided in the spiral groove 58, will be easily emitted through the open- The components of the above mentioned embodiments of the invention can be constructed of any suitable material, including lightweight metals, wood and plastics. As previously mentioned, it is preferred that at least one of the end walls be constructed of a transparent material such as glass or a clear plastic so that identifying indicia The i 4 on the ends of the objects stored in the device can be read easily.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention which come within the province of those skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the appended claims.

. What I claim is:

1. A storing device for storing a plurality of objects having first and second sizes comprising a frame, a first spiral shelf member for supporting a first set of said objects having said first size rotatably mounted on said frame and a second spiral shelf member disposed coaxially relative to said first spiral shelf member for supporting a second set of objects having said second size, rotatably mounted on said frame, one of said spiral shelf members having a greater spacing between radially spaced segments thereof realtive to the spacing between radially spaced segments of the other of said spiral members.

2. A storing device suitable for storing a plurality of objects having first and second different sizes comprising a frame having an axle member, a first spiral shelf member for supporting a first set of said objects having said first size mounted on said axle member for rotation about the axis thereof and a second spiral shelf member disposed coaxially relative to said first spiral shelf member for supporting a second set of said objects having said second size mounted on said first spiral member for rotation therewith, said second spiral member having a greater spacing between radially spaced segments thereof relative to the spacing between the radially spaced segments of said first spiral shelf member.

3. A storing device suitable for storing a plurality of objects having at least two different sizes comprising a frame having an axle member and a casing rotatably mounted on said axle member, said casing having a core member rotatably mounted on said axle member, at least one end wall mounted on said core member, a side wall mounted on said end wall, a first spiral shelf member for supporting said objects having said first size coaxially disposed relative to the axis of said axle member supported within said casing for rotation about the axis of said axle member and a second spiral shelf member disposed coaxially relative to said first spiral shelf member for supporting said objects having said second size supported within said casing for rotation with said first spiral member, said second spiral member having a greater spacing between radially spaced segments thereof relative to the radial spacing between segments of said first spiral shelf member.

4. A storing device suitable for storing a plurality of objects having first and second different sizes comprising a frame having an axle member and a cylindrical casing rotatably mounted on said axle member, said casing having a core member rotatably mounted on said axle member, a pair of end walls mounted on said core member, a cylindrical side wall supported on said end walls, a first spiral shelf member for supporting said objects having said first size mounted between said end walls having one end thereof secured to said core member and the opposite end thereof secured to a radially disposed partition member secured to the cylindrical side wall of said container and a second spiral shelf member disposed coaxially relative to said first spiral shelf member between said end walls for supporting said objects having said second size having the ends thereof engaging said radially disposed partition member, said second spiral member having a greater spacing between radially spaced segments thereof relative to the spacing between the radially spaced segments of said first spiral shelf member, and at least one of said end walls having at least one opening for removing said objects supported on said shelf members.

5. A storing device according to claim 4 wherein one of the end walls having at least one opening therein for removing said objects supported by said spiral shelf members is mounted on said axle member for rotation relative to at least said shelf member.

6. A storing device for storing a plurality of objects comprising a frame, a first spiral shelf member for supporting a first set of objects rotatably mounted on said frame and a second spiral shelf member disposed coaxially relative to said first spiral shelf member for supporting a second set of objects rotatably mounted on said frame.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Cutter 312-45 Buchenau 312-252 X Sacerdote 22'11 86 Lineberger 312125 X Birkigt 312-73 Siegfried 221-237 X 10 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

6. A STORING DEVICE FOR STORING A PLURALITY OF OBJECTS COMPRISING A FRAME, A FIRST SHELF MEMBER FOR SUPPORTING A FIRST SET OF OBJECTS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND A SECOND SPIRAL SHELF MEMBER DISPOSED COAXIALLY RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST SPIRAL SHELF MEMBER FOR SUPPORTING A SECOND SET OF OBJECTS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME. 